New Repertory Theatre Presents TWO JEWS WALK INTO A WAR...

New Repertory Theatre presents Two Jews Walk into a War..., April 28-May 20, 2018 in the MainStage Theater at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA. Tickets are $37-$67 and may be purchased by calling the New Rep Box Office at 617-923-8487 or visiting newrep.org. Student, senior, and group discounts are available.

"New Repertory Theatre is pleased to conclude our 2017-2018 season with the Vaudeville-inspired comedy Two Jews Walk into A War by Seth Rozin," says Artistic Director Jim Petosa. "During a season in which we celebrate the remarkable resilience of the human spirit, this play captures that element eloquently with both charm and wit. As we witness the two characters in this play working together to save their religion against all hope, we're reminded that it is from these small foundations that we are reminded of the power of persistence."

"New Rep is excited to welcome back both Joel Colodner and Jeremiah Kissel to our stage," says Managing Director Harriet Sheets. "We're pleased to have them reunite in this production after performing together in the critically-acclaimed Imagining Madoff. Separately, they most recently appeared in some of our favorite shows: Jeremiah having last appeared in our smash hit Fiddler on the Roof, and Joel in our production of Freud's Last Session, among many others. We hope all will join us as our 2017-2018 season comes to a rousing conclusion with this hilarious comedy."

About TWO JEWS WALK INTO A WAR...
What do you do if you're the last two Jews in Afghanistan? You re-write the Torah, of course! Ishaq and Zeblyan are on a mission to save Judaism in Kabul by rebuilding their synagogue and keeping the faith alive, but only if they don't kill each other first. Jeremiah Kissel (Fiddler on the Roof, Broken Glass, The King of Second Avenue, Imagining Madoff) and Joel Colodner (Regular Singing, Freud's Last Session, Imagining Madoff) star in this Vaudeville-inspired play, doing their best in a shtick-y situation.

New Rep's Mission

New Repertory Theatre produces plays that speak powerfully to the vital ideas of our time.

What we do:

• Through the passion and electricity of live theater performed to the highest standards of excellence, New Rep seeks to spark community conversations on crucial contemporary issues.

• Our work expands and challenges the human spirit of both artists and audiences. We present world premieres, contemporary plays and classic works in several intimate settings. Our productions are designed to be accessible to all. We are committed to education and enrichment for learners of all ages, with a special dedication to the creation of innovative in-school programming and outreach to underserved audiences. We embrace theater as the basis for enduring connections with our community and as a springboard for meaningful civic engagement.

• New Rep is an active advocate for the arts and a major voice in the national dialogue defining the role of theater in our culture.

About New Repertory Theatre

New Repertory Theatre is the award-winning, professional theatre company in residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. For over 30 years, New Rep has been a leader of self-produced theatre in greater Boston, producing contemporary and classic dramas, comedies, and musicals in both the 340-seat MainStage Theater and the 90-seat BlackBox Theater. Annually, New Rep serves over 40,000 patrons, including 2,000 season subscribers. In addition to its mainstage productions, New Rep produces Next Voices, a program dedicated to developing new plays with playwrights through staged readings and world premiere production. Under its Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs (LEAP), New Rep also produces its Classic Repertory Company, Page To Stage, Insider Experiences, and Spotlight Symposium Series.

Artistic Bios

Joel Colodner* (Ishaq) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in Regular Singing, Freud's Last Session, Imagining Madoff, The Elephant Man, Three Viewings, and Indulgences. Other area credits include Sorry and That Hopey Changey Thing (Greater Boston Stage Company); Sweet and Sad (Gloucester Stage); It's a Wonderful Life, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Mrs. Whitney (Merrimack Repertory Theatre); Our Town (Huntington Theatre Company); The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev (Lyric Stage Company); The Light in the Piazza (SpeakEasy Stage Company); and numerous roles with Actors' Shakespeare Project. Regional credits include Streamers, Comedians, and Hamlet (Arena Stage); The Rainmaker (Guthrie Theatre); An American Clock, Measure for Measure, and Wild Oats (Mark Taper Forum); The Threepenny Opera (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); and The Seagull (Pittsburgh Public Theatre). Off-Broadway credits include How I Learned to Drive (Vineyard Theatre). Broadway credits include work with The Acting Company and Phoenix Theatre. Television credits include Moonlighting, Remington Steele, Eight is Enough, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, 21 Jump Street, Cagney and Lacey, and LA Law. Mr. Colodner earned his BA from Cornell University and MFA from Southern Methodist University. Originally from New York, he resides in Portsmouth, NH.

Jeremiah Kissel* (Zeblyan) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in Fiddler on the Roof, Broken Glass, The King of Second Avenue, Imagining Madoff, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Twelfth Night, and Hard Times. Area credits include appearances at the Huntington, A.R.T., Commonwealth Shakespeare, the Lyric Stage, and Merrimack Rep, as well as Symphony Hall. Screen credits include The Town, The Fighter, The Great Debaters, Stronger, and Joy. He is the recipient of two Elliot Norton Awards (1990, 2014), two IRNEs, and the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence (2003).

Will LeBow (Director) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in The King of Second Avenue. Credits include Awake and Sing (Huntington Theatre Company); and Act One (Lincoln Center Theater). As an American Repertory Theatre company actor he appeared in more than 55 productions over 17 seasons including The Merchant of Venice, Full Circle (Elliot Norton Award), Nocturne (Drama Desk Nomination), Endgame, Romance, Copenhagen, and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Other credits include The Rivals, Love's Labour's Lost, and Sonia Flew (Huntington Theatre Company); Once in a Lifetime (American Conservatory Theater); and Casey at the Bat, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and world premieres of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Polar Express (Boston Pops). He is a veteran of 15 years with Shear Madness and three seasons with the Boston Shakespeare Company. Film and television credits include Act One (2015 release), Next Stop Wonderland, What Doesn't Kill You, Second Sight, and six seasons as Stanley on Comedy Central's Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist.

Hankus Netsky (Music Consultation) is chair of New England Conservatory's Contemporary Improvisation Department and Founder and Director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band. He has collaborated with playwright Robert Brustein on two musicals: The King of Second Avenue (New Repertory Theatre) and Shlemiel the First (American Repertory Theater and the American Musical Theatre Festival). Other musical scores include The Imported Bridegroom and Borsht Capades '94. He is musical director, producer, and arranger for Eternal Echoes, Itzhak Perlman's much-acclaimed Jewish music collaboration featuring cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, and